Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Agora Learning Partnership
Watford
WD24 5JW
Contact
Geoff Chandler
geoff.chandler@moxton-education.com
Telephone
+44 7970661087
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKH2 - Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire
Companies House
10290954
Internet address(es)
Main address
one.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at
https://www.moxton-education.com/projects-minimalist
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted to the above-mentioned address
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
one.5) Main activity
Education
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Agora Learning Partnership - ICT Managed Service
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
The Agora learning Partnership (Agora) encompasses 9 primary schools and circa 2,693 pupils in Hertfordshire.
The Agora Learning Partnership (formerly the Herts for Learning Multi Academy Trust) is an inclusive, collaborative and forward looking Trust where we all work together, learn together and succeed together in order to give all of the children in our academies the best possible education and learning opportunities.
The nine schools who currently belong to our Partnership benefit greatly from working collaboratively, providing help and support to one another. The relationship between the schools and the Executive Team and Trustees is also deemed to be a strength of the organisation and the support offered by the Executive Team is very much personalised to the individual needs of our schools. However, this only enhances the provision at our schools, whilst enabling them to maintain their individual identities and the autonomy to deliver a curriculum that reflects their school communities and the needs of the children and young people that they serve; we believe this is the only way to achieve the very best educational standards within our schools and across our Trust - high standards that we continually strive for.
Throughout our Partnership, we believe success is measured by the number of children and young people who feel happy, safe and able to flourish, in order that they can reach their full potential educationally and in all other aspects of school and life. As a result, we place children and young people at the heart of all the work that we do and the decisions that we make.
This procurement encompasses the items noted below. In essence, this procurement is all about identifying a single supplier to provide a fully outsourced managed service. At the sole discretion of the Trust any future schools that the Trust may incorporate into the Trust will also be added to the ICT contract. Any additional schools will co-terminate to the end same end date of the initial contract.
Further details regarding bid timescales are noted below but in terms of the managed service this is advertised as a 60 month contract with a maximum 5 year managed service with start and end dates as follows:
Service start date - 1st April 2024
Service end date - 31st March 2029
The new Managed Service Provider may also be required to deliver a range of technology and change management projects.
The companies identified from these shortlisting questions to receive the ITT for the Managed Service will then receive a detailed set of requirements. For the purposes of this shortlisting stage bidders should assume that the ITT will include, but is not be limited to;
• strategic advice and direction to the Trust regarding ICT
• a 42 week core service, incorporating on-site staff/visits as necessary
• Service desk
• local staffing that bidders deem necessary to deliver the SLA
• responsibility for design, specification, installation, and management of all ICT infrastructure
• supply of goods and services based on an agreed Best Value approach
• management of all ICT against an agreed SLA
• management of 3rd parties
• relevant monitoring, management, patching and reporting
• training - technical and curriculum as necessary
• risk registers and inventory management
• collective partnership targets aligned to the Trusts objectives
Bidders should note the following:
• The Trust will provide a standard contract as part of the ITT Pack
• It is not expected there may be a requirement for TUPE
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £2,100,000
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 30213000 - Personal computers
- 30214000 - Workstations
- 30230000 - Computer-related equipment
- 48000000 - Software package and information systems
- 80000000 - Education and training services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
Main site or place of performance
Watford
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Agora learning Partnership (Agora) encompasses 9 primary schools and circa 2,693 pupils in Hertfordshire.
The Agora Learning Partnership (formerly the Herts for Learning Multi Academy Trust) is an inclusive, collaborative and forward looking Trust where we all work together, learn together and succeed together in order to give all of the children in our academies the best possible education and learning opportunities.
The nine schools who currently belong to our Partnership benefit greatly from working collaboratively, providing help and support to one another. The relationship between the schools and the Executive Team and Trustees is also deemed to be a strength of the organisation and the support offered by the Executive Team is very much personalised to the individual needs of our schools. However, this only enhances the provision at our schools, whilst enabling them to maintain their individual identities and the autonomy to deliver a curriculum that reflects their school communities and the needs of the children and young people that they serve; we believe this is the only way to achieve the very best educational standards within our schools and across our Trust - high standards that we continually strive for.
Throughout our Partnership, we believe success is measured by the number of children and young people who feel happy, safe and able to flourish, in order that they can reach their full potential educationally and in all other aspects of school and life. As a result, we place children and young people at the heart of all the work that we do and the decisions that we make.
This procurement encompasses the items noted below. In essence, this procurement is all about identifying a single supplier to provide a fully outsourced managed service. At the sole discretion of the Trust any future schools that the Trust may incorporate into the Trust will also be added to the ICT contract. Any additional schools will co-terminate to the end same end date of the initial contract.
Further details regarding bid timescales are noted below but in terms of the managed service this is advertised as a 60 month contract with a maximum 5 year managed service with start and end dates as follows:
Service start date - 1st April 2024
Service end date - 31st March 2029
The new Managed Service Provider may also be required to deliver a range of technology and change management projects.
The companies identified from these shortlisting questions to receive the ITT for the Managed Service will then receive a detailed set of requirements. For the purposes of this shortlisting stage bidders should assume that the ITT will include, but is not be limited to;
• strategic advice and direction to the Trust regarding ICT
• a 42 week core service, incorporating on-site staff/visits as necessary
• Service desk
• local staffing that bidders deem necessary to deliver the SLA
• responsibility for design, specification, installation, and management of all ICT infrastructure
• supply of goods and services based on an agreed Best Value approach
• management of all ICT against an agreed SLA
• management of 3rd parties
• relevant monitoring, management, patching and reporting
• training - technical and curriculum as necessary
• risk registers and inventory management
• collective partnership targets aligned to the Trusts objectives
Bidders should note the following:
• The Trust will provide a standard contract as part of the ITT Pack
• It is not expected there may be a requirement for TUPE
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
two.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT: £2,100,000
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
60
This contract is subject to renewal
No
two.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: No
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
Section three. Legal, economic, financial and technical information
three.1) Conditions for participation
three.1.2) Economic and financial standing
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
three.1.3) Technical and professional ability
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Competitive procedure with negotiation
four.1.5) Information about negotiation
The contracting authority reserves the right to award the contract on the basis of the initial tenders without conducting negotiations
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: No
four.2) Administrative information
four.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date
6 October 2023
Local time
12:00pm
four.2.3) Estimated date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates
16 October 2023
four.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
English
four.2.6) Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender
Duration in months: 6 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)
Section six. Complementary information
six.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement: No
six.2) Information about electronic workflows
Electronic ordering will be used
Electronic invoicing will be accepted
Electronic payment will be used
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
The Agora Learning Partnership
Watford
Country
United Kingdom